This invention relates in general to a fire protection system used for extinguishing fires and more particularly to an improved fire protection system for aircraft.
The fire extinguishing systems that have been proposed in the past for use in airplanes and helicopters, as well as other aerospace vehicles have suffered from numerous drawbacks. Perhaps most notably, the controls and procedure for operating the system are typically complicated, and it may be difficult to operate the proper controls in the necessary sequence, especially under an emergency situation such as a fire. Another problem is that only a small part of the total extinguishant material may be available for application to any one designated fire zone. Therefore, the additional extinguishant that is present in the system cannot be applied once the designated portion is exhausted, even if the additional material is necessary to put out the fire.
A complete operational check of all components cannot be done as part of a normal preflight inspection. Although preflight testing of portions or components of some systems is possible, the testing procedure does not always assure the integrity and operability of all components of the system. Also, if the control system or any of its components malfunctions, the fact that a fault exists is not indicated until it is too late to take corrective action.